Folks, we made it. Gone are the days when we have to lie to ourselves and say that store-bought preseason football is just as good as the name-brand stuff. The regular season is here. But, before the Bills and Rams kick off the 2022 campaign, it’s time for us to call our shot with our five bold predictions of the season.
We did a version of this midway through the 2021 regular season and it was a mixed bag with a couple of hits. Yes, Derrick Henry returned to the Titans and Tennessee was able to hang onto the No. 1 seed, Yes, the Chiefs reached the AFC Championship game. However, the Rams were far from a one-and-done in the postseason and the Lions didn’t go 0-17. And even though he came out of retirement, we’re still calling our “Tom Brady retires” prediction a win.
This year, we have one NFC team rising to the top of the conference while the rest of the predictions focus on individual play from some of the NFL‘s more polarizing figures.
1. Eagles earn No. 1 seed in the NFC
The Philadelphia Eagles have been a sexy pick to win the NFC East to the point that they are now the betting favorite. With that in mind, let’s crank up the prediction to BOLD by saying they’ll finish as the No. 1 seed in the entire NFC. They are currently outside the top five in the odds to earn the top seed in the conference and are looking up at the Buccaneers, Packers, Rams, Cowboys, and 49ers, in that order. At Caesars Sportsbook, they have 10-1 odds to sit atop the NFC.
This offseason, the Eagles improved the roster across the board. They traded for star wideout A.J. Brown at the draft, giving Jalen Hurts a true No. 1 option alongside DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert. That trio of pass-catchers is lightyears better than what Hurts has played with in his first two years and being in Year 2 of Nick Sirianni’s system also has him poised for a leap in production. Meanwhile, they seemingly hit a home run with first-round defensive tackle Jordan Davis and stole linebacker Nakobe Dean in the third round this spring. They also recently traded for C.J. Gardner-Johnson to give the secondary a boost.
Not only is the roster better, but they have one of the easiest schedules in the entire NFL. When looking at projected win totals, Philly’s schedule ranks as the second-easiest in the league. That should allow them to pile up wins and ultimately grab ahold of the No. 1 seed.
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